Another
(brief)
transfer
will
take
the
riders
to
the
Latium
region,
where
Stage
9
begins
in
Tivoli.
After
passing
through
the
cities
of
Cassino
and
Capua
the
peloton
gets
to
Caserta,
where
the
stage
ends
in
front
of
the
Royal
Palace
("Reggia")
in
a
likely
bunch
sprint.
The
giro
featured
stage
finishes
in
Caserta
three
times
before
2002:
in
1964
(winner:
Giorgio
Zancanaro),
1982
(winner:
Swiss
sprinter
Urs
Freuler)
and
1994
(winner:
Marco
"the
inspector"
Saligari,
now
a
successful
commentator
for
the
Italian
version
of
Eurosport)

A
short
stage
totally
disputed
in
the
Campania
region,
starting
in
Maddaloni
(province
of
Caserta),
crossing
Nola
(not
far
from
Naples)
and
Avellino
(where
last
year
a
dog
managed
to
run
along
the
peloton
for
more
than
1500
meters),
and
finishing
in
Benevento
with
a
city
circuit
(but
not
the
same
dangerous
ring
the
riders
experienced
during
the
2001
Tirreno-Adriatico,
when
Leoni
surprised
Zabel).
The
finish
is
on
a
slight
rise,
over
a
cobbled
section.

This
short
stages
features
the
first
mountain
top
finish
of
the
2002
Tour
of
Italy,
almost
a
"traditional"
one,
as
riders
climbed
to
this
small
town
in
the
Appennines
already
5
times,
and
two
stage
winners
were
later
on
the
top
of
the
podium
in
Milan.
A
further
motivation
for
climbers
aiming
at
the
overall
win
to
give
it
all
...

The
first
time
the
Giro
got
to
Campitello
was
in
1969
(with
Carlo
Chiappano
outsprinting
Ugo
Colombo),
the
second
in
1982
(with
a
prestigious
winner:
Bernard
Hinault,
future
pink
jersey
wearer
in
Milan),
the
third
in
1983
(winner:
Spain’s
Alberto
Fernandez).
Another
big
name
(Franco
"Coppino"
Chioccioli)
won
in
1988,
three
years
before
taking
the
Giro
title,
while
in
1994
young
and
(then)
promising
Eugeni
Berzin
burst
into
spotlight,
starting
here
his
successful
ride
to
Milan.
Wearing
the
Cyclamen
jersey,
he
took
both
the
stage
win
from
breakaway
companion
Oscar
Pelliccioli
(in
that
period
riding
for
Polti,
now
team
manager
at
De
Nardi)
and
a
pink
jersey
he
would
have
carried
until
the
end,
becoming
a
"rising
star"
who
turned
a
"falling
star"
too
early.

Today’s
stage
is
quite
flat
for
more
than
100
km.
also
going
through
big
cities
such
as
Campobasso,
but
the
finish
line
is
after
a
15-km.
climb,
featuring
an
average
gradient
of
6%:
it’s
the
first
big
chance
for
climbers
to
show
off
their
skills
and
shake
the
ranking.

An
Appenninic
stage,
featuring
two
ascents:
Valico
il
Macerone
(Km.
5,700
of
climbing
-
average
gradient
6,38%),
already
experienced
at
this
year’s
Tirreno-Adriatico,
and
Roccaraso
(Km.
8,800
of
climbing
-
average
gradient
5,1%),
and
with
the
route
frequently
going
up
and
down.
A
bunch
sprint
is
highly
unlikely,
but
also
riders
aiming
for
the
Milan
podium
should
save
energies
for
tomorrow’s
mountain
stage
and
Sunday’s
challenging
Time
Trial.
So
time
for
a
successful
solo
effort
or
more
likely
for
a
final
battle
among
breakaway
companions.